Earnings Bonanza Impresses Street; Goldman, J&J, Mattel, UNH Rising

By Avi Salzman

Citigroup (C) is stealing the show this morning even though a half-dozen big companies just reported their third quarter earnings. In a surprising announcement, Citi said CEO Vikram Pandit and COO John Havens will step down; shares are down 2.5%. We’ll have more on that story as it develops.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty more to snack on.

The government said the consumer price index rose 0.6% in September, propelled by higher gasoline prices. The core rate rose 0.1%, just below expectations for a 0.2% gain.

Dow futures rose 63 points; S&P 500 futures rose 7.1 points.

Goldman Sachs (GS) doubled its revenue and reversed a loss a year ago as its investment banking revenue jumped 49%. The bank also increased its dividend. Shares were up 0.2% in pre-market trading.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) rose 1% after posting third-quarter earnings and sales that rose more than expected to top estimates.

About Stocks To Watch

Earnings reports, corporate strategies and analyst insights are all part of what moves stocks, and they’re all covered by the Stocks to Watch blog. We also look at macro issues, investor sentiments and hidden trends that are affecting the market. Stocks to Watch gives you the full picture of the U.S. stock markets, all day long.

The blog is written by Ben Levisohn, a former stock trader who has covered financial markets for the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and BusinessWeek.